Cutoff devices for continuous rod cigarette-making machines and other similar machines

ABSTRACT

A cutoff device for a cigarette-making machine or other continuous rod-making machine includes a reciprocating ledger formed with an aperture through which a stationary rod passes, the aperture wall and the rod being connected to an electrical warning circuit which operates in the event of the rod contacting the surrounding wall of the aperture.

United States Patent Inventor Philip A. Maw

London, England Appl. No. 43,705 Filed June 5, 1970 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 Assignee Molins Machine Company Limited London, England Priority June 13, 1969 Great Britain 30,170/69 CUTOFF DEVICES FOR CONTINUOUS ROD CIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINES AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 3. 83/62, 83/310 Int. CL B 26d 5/00 [50] Field of Search 83/62, 310; 72/1; 90/51 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 772,113 10/1904 Osswald 83/62 2,809.541 10/1957 Witt 83/62 X 3,392,613 7/l968 Johns 833/62 Primary ExaminerFrank T. Yost Attarney- Lowry, Rinehart, Markva & Smith ABSTRACT: A cutoff device for a cigarette-making machine or other continuous rod-making machine includes a reciprocating ledger formed with an aperture through which a stationary rod passes, the aperture wall and the rod being connected to an electrical warning circuit which operates in the event of the rod contacting the surrounding wall of the aperture.

CUTOFF DEVICES FOR CONTINUOUS ROD CIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINES AND OTHER SIMILAR MACHINES This invention is concerned with cutoff devices for severing a continuous rod, for example a continuous cigarette rod, into short lengths. The invention is particularly useful for cigarettemaking machines, but it could also for example be used on cigarette filter rod making machines.

Cutoff devices commonly include a ledger which moves to and fro and supports the rod while a blade is cutting the rod. One known form of ledger is described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,414.

According to one aspect of this invention a ledger comprises a reciprocating part which is arranged to support the rod during cutting, and a stationary rod which passes through an opening in the reciprocating part and is connected to an electrical circuit to which the surrounding portion of the reciprocating part is also connected so that, in the event of the rod contacting the reciprocating part, the electrical circuit is closed and thus serves as a warning that the ledger is not operating properly.

The establishing of such electrical contact is preferably arranged to switch off the machine automatically. For example, the electrical circuit which is closed when the bar touches the surrounding part of the ledger may include a relay which operates a switching mechanism controlling the entire cigarette-making machine.

A second aspect of this invention concerns the mounting of the ledger. In the above-mentioned patent the two parallel arms which carry the reciprocating part of the ledger are connected to the ledger and to the stationary framework at both ends by means of crossed spring connections. According to the present invention, one of the bars is pivotally connected instead to the reciprocating part of the ledger by means of a pivot pin, and this pivot pin also connects the oscillating part of the ledger to a connecting rod which drives the reciprocating part in its reciprocating motion.

An example of a ledger according to this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings. In this drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of the ledger taken on a section on the line II in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line llll in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line IIIIIl in FIG. 1.

The ledger shown in the drawings includes a part which reciprocates, being pivotally carried by two parallel arms 12 and 14 and being driven horizontally to-and-fro by means of a connecting rod 16. The lower ends of the arms 12 and 14 (not shown) are connected to a stationarysupport by means of crossed springs as described in the aforementioned patent. A similar crossed spring device 18 connects the upper end of the arm 12 to the ledger part 10. The upper end of the arm 14, on the other hand, is pivotally connected to the ledger part 10 by means of a pivot pin 20 which also pivotally connects the part 10 to the connecting rod 16, as shown in FIG. 3. The connecting rod 16 is forked so as to have two spaced side parts 16A and 16B which lie on opposite sides of the part 10. The pin 20 has its ends secured to the arm 14, and is surrounded by an intermediate sleeve 22 which is in turn surrounded by a portion 220 of the part 10. There are needle roller bearings, as shown, between the pin 20 and the sleeve 22, and between the sleeve 22 and the part 10.

The left-hand end of the connecting rod, as viewed in FIG. 1, is connected to a crank driven by a crankshaft 24 which is shown diagrammatically in outline.

The ledger part 10 includes two heads 26 and 28 which have aligned bores containing replaceable sleeves 36 through which the cigarette or other rod passes during use. The heads 26 and 28 are split so that they can be tightened on to inner sleeves 36 by studs 38. Different sleeves 36 are used for different cigarette diameters.

Adjacent to the head 26 the part 10 includes a portion 27 (see FIG. 2) formed with a hole 29 through which a safety bar 30 extends with a precisely defined clearance. When the ledger is at its mid position as shown (i.e., in effect at top dead center) the clearance is greater below the bar than above, this allows for the downward component of movement produced by the arms 12 and 14. The bar 30 is screwed into an insulating socket 32 which is in turn carried by a stationary support member 34 secured to the frame of the machine. An electrical connection (not shown) is made to the bar 30, and a separate electrical connection is made to the part 10 of the ledger. These connections enable the bar 30 and part 10 to form part of an electrical circuit which is closed in the event of the bar 30 touching the surrounding portion 27 of the part 10.

The direction of movement of the rod is from right to left as viewed in FIG. 1. The cutoff blade (not shown) passes between the heads 26 and 28 of the ledger so as to sever the continuous rod intermittently into short lengths. During this severing action, the blade advances axially with the rod in a known manner.

I claim: 7

l. A cutoff device for a continuous rod-making machine, including a ledger comprising a reciprocating part which is arranged to support the rod during cutting, and a stationary rod which passes through an opening in the reciprocating part and is connected to an electrical circuit to which the surrounding portion of the reciprocating part is also connected so that, in the event of the rod contacting the reciprocating part, the electrical circuit is closed and thus serves as a warning that the ledger is not operating properly.

2. A continuous rod-making machine including a cutoff device according to claim I, in which the electrical circuit is arranged to switch off the machine when the circuit is closed as a result of the rod contacting the reciprocating part.

3. A continuous rod-making machine including a cutoff device with a ledger comprising a reciprocating part for supporting the rod during cutting, means for supporting the said reciprocating part to allow a reciprocating motion, drive means coupled to the said reciprocating part to impart the reciprocating motion to the said part, electrically conductive means defining an aperture in the reciprocating part, a stationary metal rod which passes freely through the aperture, an electrical circuit connected to the electrically conductive part and to the rod, and control means connected to the electrical circuit to stop the machine automatically in the event of the rod contacting the electrically conductive part. 

1. A cutoff device for a continuous rod-making machine, including a ledger comprising a reciprocating part which is arranged to support the rod during cutting, and a stationary rod which passes through an opening in the reciprocating part and is connected to an electrical circuit to which the surrounding portion of the reciprocating part is also connected so that, in the event of the rod contacting the reciprocating part, the electrical circuit is closed and thus serves as a warning that the ledger is not operating properly.
 2. A continuous rod-making machine including a cutoff device according to claim 1, in which the electrical circuit is arranged to switch off the machine when the circuit is closed as a result of the rod contacting the reciprocating part.
 3. A continuous rod-making machine including a cutoff device with a ledger comprising a reciprocating part for supporting the rod during cutting, means for supporting the said reciprocating part to allow a reciprocating motion, drive means coupled to the said reciprocating part to impart the reciprocating motion to the said part, electrically conductive means defining an aperture in the reciprocating part, a stationary metal rod which passes freely through the aperture, an electrical circuit connected to the electrically conductive part and to the rod, and control means connected to the electrical circuit to stop the machine automatically in the event of the rod contacting the electrically conductive part. 